wax on, wax off (because you don't know what's "really" going on)
What essential lessons are your pride & fear causing you to miss?
Every one of us goes through times when nothing seems to make sense. It appears others are taking advantage of us and the work we’re expected to do is a fruitless waste of time and effort.
I know I’ve felt all of this and more in my life at times. More recently, I feel better able to discern just how ordered my steps have always been.
For example, a long-time freelance source of income has been something I will arrogantly resent having to do — as if it were “beneath” me. Lately, however, I recognize that this gig has prepared me to do some important work far more effectively.
It brings to mind a moment from The Karate Kid (1984). Most of you probably recall Mr. Miyagi showing a confused Daniel how to “wax on, wax off” and “paint the fence” as a path toward learning self-defense.
Being an impatient human (like all of us), the teenager gets frustrated and is certain he knows better. Think of the Israelites losing faith in the desert on their way to the promised land:
Eventually, Daniel aggressively challenges his teacher so an exasperated Mr. Miyagi (the God figure in this parable) shows the prideful young man (representing us) precisely what ordered steps look and feel like.
What happens next is seen in this very brief excerpt:
Daniel-son’s facial expression at the end should be our perpetual goal.
We must strive to feel wonder and awe at what we can do and how we’re being guided to do it. Sure, we’ll all need a few slaps on the top of our heads, but this is how we learn to remember how fearfully and wonderfully made we are.
What essential lessons are your pride and fear causing you to miss? We are given so much but choose to walk around oblivious to our divine gifts.
Let’s change that, shall we?
P.S. This post is not about movies in general or any movie in particular.
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Back when I taught catechism to adults, I would tell them that when they finally got temptations to mortal sin under control, it was Pride that was likely to bite them where it hurt.
Pride is a BEAR, because it can diguise itself so well as benign, or even positive.
Hard to see. Hard to vanquish
What a powerful scene! And a powerful connection you made to the OT